July 17, 1980 Tsunami: Solomon Islands
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake began at Solomon Islands on July 17, 1980 at 19:42:23 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.14 meters. Its effects were recorded at 36 places in at least 4 countries.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- July 17, 1980, 19:42:23 UTC
- Source
- Solomon Islands
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.9, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.14 m (0.5 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 36
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -1.7
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 12.525° S, 165.916° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
An earthquake near the Santa Cruz Islands generated a tsunami. A weak tsunami was registered on the coast of Japan. (reference #417)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Vila, Efate Island | Vanuatu | 633 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | ||||
| Apia, Upolu Island | Samoa | 2,423 | 0.4 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Chichijima Island | Japan | 5,078 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 5,448 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 5,485 | 0.14 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kahului, Maui, HI, HI | United States | 5,531 | 0.14 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 5,570 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Yaene, Hachijo Island | Japan | 5,763 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 03:45 | ||
| Mera | Japan | 5,929 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 04:40 | ||
| Mera | Japan | 5,929 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Naha | Japan | 5,959 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Omaezaki | Japan | 5,981 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 05:00 | ||
| Uchiura | Japan | 5,985 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Naze | Japan | 5,989 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 04:00 | ||
| Naze | Japan | 5,989 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kushimoto | Japan | 6,010 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 04:40 | ||
| Uragami | Japan | 6,011 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 04:40 | ||
| Maisaka | Japan | 6,020 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Owase | Japan | 6,042 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 05:00 | ||
| Owase | Japan | 6,042 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Toba | Japan | 6,044 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 05:40 | ||
| Toba | Japan | 6,044 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Onahama | Japan | 6,069 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 04:32 | ||
| Murotomisaki | Japan | 6,086 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 04:53 | ||
| Aburatsu | Japan | 6,114 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 04:32 | ||
| Tosa-Shimizu | Japan | 6,117 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 05:20 | ||
| Ayukawa | Japan | 6,174 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Enoshima | Japan | 6,180 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 04:30 | ||
| Ofunato | Japan | 6,233 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 04:55 | ||
| Miyako | Japan | 6,286 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hachinohe | Japan | 6,390 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 05:15 | ||
| Hiroo | Japan | 6,494 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 05:04 | ||
| Tokachiko | Japan | 6,495 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Urakawa | Japan | 6,503 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hanasaki | Japan | 6,517 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kushiro | Japan | 6,526 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 06:38 |
More
Every tsunami in 1980The 1900sTsunamis of Solomon IslandsThe earthquakeThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI tsunami event 2125.